{"id":5535,"date":"2013-02-28T01:00:55","date_gmt":"2013-02-28T09:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/?p=5535"},"modified":"2013-03-06T13:14:46","modified_gmt":"2013-03-06T21:14:46","slug":"how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>B<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5536\" title=\"KidsStudyingWithYou\" src=\"http:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/KidsStudyingWithYou.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"396\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/KidsStudyingWithYou.jpg 565w, https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/KidsStudyingWithYou-264x300.jpg 264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px\" \/>efore we launch our Psalm 37 study tomorrow,\u00a0<strong>let&#8217;s brainstorm on some ways to involve your children in your Bible study. <\/strong>If you can&#8217;t find a quiet time to study <em>alone, <\/em>maybe God doesn&#8217;t want you to study alone. Let the children <em>join<\/em> you.\u00a0Not only will you get some time in the Word, but your children will also be learning right along with you!<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Maybe it&#8217;s been too long since my kids were little, but I think, with some creative brainstorming and a little advance preparation, we should be able to think of some strategies that will let you <\/span><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\">and <\/em><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">your children enjoy some time in the Word <\/span><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\">together.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Some of these ideas may not save you <em>time<\/em>. And they won&#8217;t all work for everyone. They may take some preparation; they may even slow down your own study. But<em> <\/em>what better investment of your time can you make than helping your children get excited about God&#8217;s Word? If you&#8217;re joining our <em>Busy Mamas Bible Study on Psalm 37<\/em>, use your catch-up day or Sunday evening to gather kid materials for the upcoming week. Keep your supplies in a basket or box where you plan to study.<\/p>\n<p>Also, for those of you who are planning to join us for our <em>Busy Mamas Bible Study on Psalm 37<\/em>, each day will include a project or activity idea for the children. You may have to adapt these, depending on the ages of your children, but I will try to give you some ideas for how to study <em>with <\/em>them, if you want to.<\/p>\n<p><strong>For babies and really little children <\/strong>(These little ones are obviously too young to join in your study, but these simple ideas might buy you a little time for study.)<strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Study during a <strong>nursing time<\/strong>, or give older little ones some <strong>finger food<\/strong> in the high chair.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Put the baby in a <strong>playpen<\/strong> with toys or something to attract their attention for awhile.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Put the baby in the <strong>swing<\/strong> with some nice <strong>worship music<\/strong> playing while you study with the rest of the children.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Have older children <strong>take turns<\/strong> on different days <strong>caring for the baby<\/strong> while the rest of you study. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">For toddlers<\/strong><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Let them play with <strong>Bible-related toys and books<\/strong> that are <\/span><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\">only <\/em><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">for your study time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Set them in their <strong>high chair<\/strong> with a full sippy cup or some <strong>finger food<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>Assign an <strong>older child to help toddlers<\/strong> participate as much as they can in other study activities that the older children are doing (listening for words, play-acting, drawing, etc).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Share your colored pencils<\/strong> with them while they sit next to you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><strong>Establish a &#8220;blanket time&#8221;<\/strong>, training them to sit and play quietly on a blanket for at least five minutes a day. Do your studying during this time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Buy some special <em>just-for-study-time<\/em> <strong>Bible videos<\/strong> that the little ones can watch while you study.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Have them sit on their beds and <strong>listen to recorded Bible stories<\/strong> while the rest of you study.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">For other children:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Set a timer. Ask everyone to be <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">quiet for five minutes<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> (maybe with toys or Bible story books) . Then, when you have finished your five minutes of study, \u00a0tell them what you learned while you all share a snack together.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Have children plan a <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">short skit<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> or <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">draw pictures <\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">related to the passage while you do your studying. If you&#8217;re studying Psalm 37, it is full of short proverb-like verses that will lend themselves to dramatization and illustration. Pick one verse for your children, or let older readers choose for themselves. Take videos of their skits. Put drawings up on your walls or in a notebook. Be sure to share with Daddy!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">If you have a child who is old enough to trust with a video camera, let him <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">shoot a movie<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> of the rest of the children dramatizing a verse you have assigned to them. Let them show it to you when you&#8217;re finished studying for the day, or let them show it to you and your husband in the evening after he comes home. Then post it on the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/487622067967767\/\">Busy Mamas Bible Study Facebook<\/a> group page for all of us to see!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Use <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">dolls, stuffed animals, Legos, Playmobil<\/strong><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">,<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> and other toys for Bible verse skits. Take pictures with your phone or other device and post for others to see, or email some pictures to Daddy at work. Share them on <a href=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/487622067967767\/\">Facebook<\/a> with your fellow Busy Mamas! <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Since Psalm 37 is written by David, if you&#8217;re studying it, you could have the children prepare to <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">act out scenes from David&#8217;s life<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> when he might have been tempted to fret about evildoers. Have costume and prop materials available. In 5-minute intervals, this could keep your children busy for several days!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">When looking for comparisons in the text, share some <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">object lessons<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> together. For example, Ps. 37: 20 tells us that the wicked are like smoke that vanishes. Make some smoke. Watch what happens to it. Colossians 3 speaks of putting our sins to death. Have the children write out each of the words Paul lists in the passage, and then destroy those pieces of paper in a fire or rip them up and throw them away.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Tell your children what word you are looking for in the text and ask them to help you think of a <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">way to mark it<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> in your Bible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Let them help you think of <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">how to illustrate<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> a particular verse or idea.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Let children take turns actually <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">helping you mark the words<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> in your Bible. You can read aloud, and point out the words for them to mark as you see them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Draw a simple,\u00a0but larger\u00a0<strong>illustration of a verse<\/strong> you&#8217;ve been reading together. Scan or copy it, and give it to the children to color while you study.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Read the passage aloud.<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> Have children <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">raise hands<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">, bang pots, stand up, ring bells, etc., whenever they hear the word you&#8217;re listening for.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Read the passage aloud and have the children <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">perform an action that relates to the word<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> they are listening for. This should be fun! What will they think of to do when you say &#8220;wicked&#8221;, &#8220;heart&#8221;, &#8220;God&#8221;, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Write the passage (or part of it) on a <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">blackboard<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> or <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">whiteboard<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">. Have children take turns marking words. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Let them <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">draw pictures in your Bible<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">. This might be a little scary, but you can monitor them, you&#8217;re inviting them into the excitement of Bible study, and I can assure you that their drawings will be precious a few years from now.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Listen to a recording<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> of the passage in the car together, while listening for a particular word.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Memorize<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> the passage together.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Listen for a particular idea, such as all the commands in a passage, \u00a0and <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">list<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> them on a whiteboard while you read.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Have them <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">copy a portion<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">. Let them write particular words in different colors or draw a picture to illustrate the passage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Talk about <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">real-life examples<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> of what the passage is saying. Be careful to do this with a loving attitude, if you use people you know for examples.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Let older children help you with <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">research<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">. Perhaps they could do their own word study on a particular word and share what they learn with you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Set goals<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> with your children. Tell them what God is teaching you from the passage and how you are planning to obey it. Ask them to share the same thing with you.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Focus on obeying one verse<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> together throughout the day. Encourage each other!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Talk about the <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">ways you can apply what you have been reading<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> together. Pray for each other, and encourage each other throughout the day when you see people putting what they have learned into action.<\/span><em style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> <\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">For older readers, sit in a circle and <\/span><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">take turns reading<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> one verse at a time.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong style=\"font-size: 16px;\">Print out a passage<\/strong><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"> (or a portion of it) for older readers. Have them draw pictures, circle words, etc., along with you. A special set of colored pencils will make this even more exciting!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Wow! This got kind of long! If you&#8217;re still reading, <strong>don&#8217;t forget to join the Busy Mamas Bible Study Facebook group <\/strong>if you would like to fellowship with other ladies who are studying Psalm 37 with us in March! See you tomorrow!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><em><br \/>\n<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-left rtsocial-icon\"><div class=\"rtsocial-fb-icon \"> <div class=\"rtsocial-fb-icon-button\"><a title=\"Share: How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" class=\"rtsocial-fb-icon-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.doorposts.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2F28%2Fhow-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children%2F\" target= \"_blank\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rtsocial-twitter-icon\"> <div class=\"rtsocial-twitter-icon-button\"><a title=\"Tweet: How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" class=\"rtsocial-twitter-icon-link\" href= \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=How%20to%20Study%20Your%20Bible%20Along%20with%20Your%20Children&via=@doorposts&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.doorposts.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2F28%2Fhow-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children%2F\" target= \"_blank\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-icon\"> <div class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-icon-button\"><a class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-icon-link\" href= \"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children\/&media=https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/rtsocial\/images\/default-pinterest.png&description=How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" target= \"_blank\" title=\"Pin: How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"perma-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children\/\" title=\"How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\"><\/a><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"rts_id\" class=\"rts_id\" value=\"5535\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" id=\"rts_media_nonce\" name=\"rts_media_nonce\" value=\"7c84df3015\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5535\" \/><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Before we launch our Psalm 37 study tomorrow,\u00a0let&#8217;s brainstorm on some ways to involve your children in your Bible study. If you can&#8217;t find a quiet time to study alone, maybe God doesn&#8217;t want you to study alone. Let the children join you.\u00a0Not only will you get some time in the Word, but your children will also be learning right along with you! Maybe it&#8217;s been too long since my [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"rtsocial-container rtsocial-container-align-left rtsocial-icon\"><div class=\"rtsocial-fb-icon \"> <div class=\"rtsocial-fb-icon-button\"><a title=\"Share: How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" class=\"rtsocial-fb-icon-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.doorposts.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2F28%2Fhow-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children%2F\" target= \"_blank\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rtsocial-twitter-icon\"> <div class=\"rtsocial-twitter-icon-button\"><a title=\"Tweet: How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" class=\"rtsocial-twitter-icon-link\" href= \"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=How%20to%20Study%20Your%20Bible%20Along%20with%20Your%20Children&via=@doorposts&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.doorposts.com%2Fblog%2F2013%2F02%2F28%2Fhow-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children%2F\" target= \"_blank\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><div class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-icon\"> <div class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-icon-button\"><a class=\"rtsocial-pinterest-icon-link\" href= \"https:\/\/pinterest.com\/pin\/create\/button\/?url=https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children\/&media=https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/plugins\/rtsocial\/images\/default-pinterest.png&description=How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" target= \"_blank\" title=\"Pin: How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\"><\/a><\/div><\/div><a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"perma-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children\/\" title=\"How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\"><\/a><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"rts_id\" class=\"rts_id\" value=\"5535\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" id=\"rts_media_nonce\" name=\"rts_media_nonce\" value=\"7c84df3015\" \/><input type=\"hidden\" name=\"_wp_http_referer\" value=\"\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5535\" \/><\/div><a role=\"link\" class=\"rtp-readmore\" title=\"Read more on How to Study Your Bible Along with Your Children\" href=\"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/2013\/02\/28\/how-to-study-your-bible-along-with-your-children\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More \u2192<\/a>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[119,134,14,25,50,155,16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5535"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5535"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5535\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5643,"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5535\/revisions\/5643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.doorposts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}